Christmas blessings

First we thought John would be released Tuesday. However his GI doctor didn't want to release him....he wanted to remove more fluid and get cultures since it previously showed a bacterial infection. So on Christmas Eve, John received platelets and plasma, and had his stomach tapped again, this time removing 2100 ccs. The cultures won't be back until Monday or Tuesday so I figured he'd be in the hospital at least till then. The next day his admitting doctor was pleased with his bloodwork and said he could go home. It was the best Christmas present! He felt good enough to join us for Christmas dinner. He's tired, but in much better spirits. Praise God. We're not sure what's ahead for him, but we're just taking one day at a time.

I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas. I'll be heading back to Florida on the first.

Merry Christmas!

Arrived in PA very late last night. The flight was delayed an hour. Left Orlando at 9:30, arrived in Pittsburgh at 11:30. Spent most of the day with John today. He will probably be released tomorrow. They want to remove some more fluid and test it for bacteria. I'll explain more in a later post. He's in good spirits and looking forward to going home.

Wishing you all a blessed, peaceful Christmas and a healthy, happy 2009. May God richly bless you in the coming year!

Much better

John had a decent today, THANK YOU GOD. They gave him 2 more units of blood and he has his appetite back. Not sure what's next on the agenda. Thanks for all your prayers!

John Update

John had a much better day today. Yesterday was a bad one for sure. He rested comfortably most of the day. I think he just had bloodwork and an ultrasound today. They removed 2400 ccs of fluid from his abdomen, roughly 72 ounces. That helped relieve the pressure on his diaphragm which was making it difficult for him to breathe. I truly appreciate your prayers and please continue to pray. I'm looking forward to getting up there, mostly to provide moral support!

I had a breast MRI today. I moved around a bunch of appointments to January since my holiday plans changed. My cold/sore throat/congestion is getter better.

I had a great time with Steve, Kim, the kids and Kim's mom, Judy. I spent Wednesday afternoon and evening with them at Disney. The prior Sunday, Joe, Linda, Angela and I met them at the Rainforest Cafe for dinner. We were craning our necks trying to check in on the Steelers-Ravens game on the TV above the bar. Afterward we spent some time in a huge Disney store and we kept checking the last few minutes of the game on Steve's Blackberry! It was pretty funny, us standing there amidst all these shoppers staring at the Crackberry. LOL

Rough day for bro

Yesterday John received a blood transfusion. Today he was given frozen plasma and platelets. His blood levels are all out of whack. He also had a port installed for blood draws and his stomach was tapped. Please keep John in your prayers. I'm flying up there Monday. Sitting here in Florida isn't doing it for me. I want to be able to keep him company and keep an eye on what the docs and nurses are doing.

My brother John

Please keep my brother John in your prayers. He has been suffering from liver disease and is being admitted to the hospital today. He has been bloated from excess fluid. I don't have any other info right now.

Road trip

It's been raining since early this morning and it looks like we'll have rain as we head down to West Palm Beach later today. I think we're going to stay Friday night at my cousin's so we have more time to visit. We'll head back Saturday morning. Sunday afternoon we'll meet Steve and his family at Downtown Disney. I probably won't post again until Monday, so have a great weekend everyone! xoxoxo

If I ruled the world

Before this devolves into a self-centered rant, I would first rid the world of cancer, and liver disease and well, a host of other diseases.

Besides that..
Our pets would live as long as we do
It would be okay to eat cookie batter
Someone would put away our clean laundry for us
And empty the dishwasher
And clean the baseboards
Oh heck, why don't I just say it: I want a maid!
And a personal assistant
We would have no trouble growing tomatoes in Florida
All of our clothes would fit
We would only have sweet dreams

I could go on, but what about you? What silly things would you ensure if you could?

In other news, I have a sore throat and a cold I'm trying to shake before Joe, Elizabeth and I head down to South Florida on Thursday. The plan is to stay at our cousin Karen's Thursday night. We have an appointment with the Italian Consulate in Miami Friday morning. Actually, it's in Coral Gables. We hope we have everything in order to obtain dual citizenship. It's taken us nearly 2 years to cut through all the red tape, but I think we see the finish line!

Please pray...

...for Amy Taylor. She is at a very critical juncture in her treatment. You can visit her blog at the link on the right sidebar of this page. Amy is too sick to post, but her loving husband and other family members do so on her behalf.

Say what?

On Wednesday I had a transtympanic (through the ear drum) injection of dexamethasone in my right ear. A compounding pharmacy mixed the solution, which I picked up on the way to the office. I had my third hearing test before the procedure. No improvement, in fact, a little worse. After the test, the doctor numbed the inside of my ear, then injected the steroid. I then had to lay with my head tipped to the left for 30 minutes to let the fluid settle into my inner ear. Felt kind of weird, but it didn't hurt. I have to keep water of out that ear for 2 weeks and don't you know I forgot to plug it up with cotton yesterday when I showered. I even wrote myself a note left on the bathroom counter and I still forgot! Hopefully I won't do that again. I forgot to ask the doc how long it will be before I know if this worked or not. He wants to see me in 3 months for another hearing test, so I guess that means it could take awhile.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon volunteering and I was actually kind of busy. A patient came in to find a wig and I spent about 45 minutes with her. She found a wig she liked and 2 caps. I think it's helpful when someone who knows what it's like to lose her hair assists you. I know whenever I encountered cancer survivors in the hospital it was very comforting. I also sorted and cataloged new wigs for the gift closet and ordered brochures that were in low supply. As usual, I was exhausted when I got home. I had a busy week and it doesn't take much for me to overdo it.

Today I decorated my tree, did laundry, walked the dogs and cooked. Yep, I'm tired. I listened to Christmas music all afternoon and it always amazes me how talented Karen Carpenter was. I used to make fun of the Carpenters in their heyday because they were so middle of the road, but geez, her voice is beautiful. She's singing with the angels now I imagine.

Tomorrow is Sunday, which means I'll be somewhere watching the Steelers play. Go, boys, go!

Better pack some heat when you go Christmas shopping...

...or wear full-body armor. You may end up participating in a shootout at the OK Corral, better known as Toys 'R Us or you may find yourself under the feet of delirious shoppers in your local Wal-Mart. Pretty sad that we covet TOYS and GAMES so much that we're willing to disregard the safety of others. I don't think that's why we celebrate Christmas, but when there are people who are offended just because you say, "Merry Christmas," well I guess we shouldn't be surprised...we get what we deserve. There's your "Bah, humbug" moment for the day.

We had a great time with my nephew Steve last Sunday watching the Steelers crush the Pats. We watched the game at my bro's house. He'll be back in 2 weeks with his family to do the Disney thing. I have to admit, Disney looks great decorated for Christmas. Very festive!

Today I get to have an injection of a steroid in my ear. Gee, can't wait. I truly hope it helps.

Ear Ye, Ear Ye

I went to a neurotologist last week for my hearing loss. Next Wednesday I'm going to have an injection of a steroid into my ear canal. I am also on a low sodium diet and a water pill for 30 days in case there is fluid in my inner ear. I don't have all the symptoms of Meniere's disease, but my doctor wants to rule it out. Other than sudden hearing loss, one has dizziness and tinnitus. I don't have either, but the doc said I could still develop them. He just had preliminary blood test results, but so far, everything was in the normal range.

I continue to see my good friends of the American Medical Association next month. Time for the 3 month round of tests and exams. I have yet to schedule my breast MRI...must do that early next week. I'll see my medical oncologist, have blood drawn, see my surgeon and radiation oncologist. Yippee!!

I continue to work outside. It's been a little warmer these last few days. I did some MAJOR pruning of some shrubs. It's like I blinked and they grew at least 4 times their size. Tomorrow my nephew Steve is coming in for a business conference, but will hang out with us and watch the Steelers-Pats game at 4 pm. Cool!

Giving Thanks

Let's give thanks for those who protect our country and pray for those affected by the brutal terror attacks in India.

I am so grateful for God and for all of the wonderful people in my life. Thanks to all for your love and support. I truly appreciate it. I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Sunshine and cool temps

The weather has been fabulous. What a change from the hot, humid summer. Love it. THIS is why I moved here. Now if I could just figure out a way to escape from here in the summertime. That would be awesome.

I took this pic of my elephant ears this morning. It looks like snow or ice on the leaves, which you see better if you click on the pic. But it's just water drops from the sprinklers. I think they look cool.


This afternoon I have an appointment with a neurologist to see if there are any solutions to my hearing loss. I had blood drawn last week, so I imagine we'll review those results. This evening I have a support group meeting. I have my volunteer work tomorrow. I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving with Joe and the family. I'm making stuffing (a new recipe) and pumpkin pie. I was doing pretty well eating healthily (is that a word?), then last week, well, hmmm. Then to top it all off I made cupcakes to bring to my brother's this past Sunday. They were very yummy. :o)

The Forgotten Man

A very wise man once said (125 years ago):

"As soon as A observes something which seems to him to be wrong, from which X is suffering, A talks it over with B, and A and B propose to get a law passed to remedy the evil and help X. Their law always proposes to determine what C shall do for X, or in the better case, what A, B, and C shall do for X...What I want to do is look up C. I want to show you what manner of man he is. I call him the Forgotten Man. Perhaps the appellation is not strictly correct. He is the man who never is thought of...He works, he votes, generally he prays- but he always pays...
William Graham Sumner, Yale University, 1883

In my opinion, very wise indeed.

Pirates? Really?

Can someone remind me which century we're in?

Should old acquaintance be forgot...

...It's been great to reconnect with people this past year or so. I've been having strange dreams lately. The other night included a good friend from college. She was very good at staying in touch, me, not so much. Since she appeared in my dream, I thought maybe I should try to track her down. She's now in Colorado. We chatted the other night and she told me she tried to track me down several years ago. I'm grateful we're back in touch. You can't have enough good friends.

In other news, Angela and I didn't make it to Titusville for shuttle Endeavor's launch. she had to test a student for one of her graduate classes and didn't get home until 6. I had heard on the radio early in the afternoon that you really needed to get there early and with a full tank of gas. I didn't want to make the drive by myself, so we'll try again next year.

The scene from my backyard:
Ignore my neighbor's RV, lol. It actually looked better than this, but a shot is a shot. Before you could see it, there was a huge red glow closer to the horizon which I imagine was from the fuel burning at liftoff. The really cool thing was there was a football game at the high school which is across the main road from my subdivision. Everyone cheered when it went up. I heard an announcer mention the shuttle so I knew that the cheers weren't for a touchdown, but for Endeavor. Very cool. Now this is what it looked like if you were really close to the Cape, not 70 miles or so away like me.



I've been keeping relatively busy these days. I trained for my volunteer work on Monday. I'll work one afternoon a week in the Resource Center at the Cancer Institute. I'm going to a meeting at the local GOP office this week and I'm going to start attending another support group. I've been walking the dogs every day and I'm really making progress in the yard. I haven't painted inside the house for weeks, so that is on my list, too.

Hard to believe that Thanksgiving is fast approaching. And Christmas! I was in Wal-Mart last week and they were already playing Christmas music. I would prefer not to get bombarded till after Thanksgiving, but that is quite unlikely.

Do you have a cat? Are you confident he/she is not trying to whack you? My niece sent this very informative website. You really can't be too safe these days. Check it out.

I want a bailout, too!

Since we're bailing out every Tom, Dick and Harry out there, I want to put my name in the mix. The gov't (meaning all of you) can pay my mortgage for me. It's only fair, right? C'mon, people, where's the love?

Now that I've gotten today's mini-rant off my chest, I'll continue. Funny I mentioned the word "chest." Last night was my monthly BC support group meeting. There were just 10 of us this month and half either have had or are planning to have reconstruction surgery post-mastectomy. I just had a lumpectomy, so the conversation was very enlightening. Curiously enough, it became a sort of show-and-tell exercise. I got to see what reconstructed breasts look like aside from seeing pictures online and in brochures. They look very natural, in fact, one woman's looked so fabulous I briefly entertained the thought of getting rid of mine and starting all over again! HA! If weren't for the fact that the process takes months and can present serious complications, I might seriously consider it.

Food item: I've been trying to cut most of the highly processed foods out of my diet. Every now and then, though, I must make an exception. So, if you like yeast rolls (and I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't), you've got to try Sister Schubert's. They are sinfully delicious. They can be found in the freezer section of most grocery stores.

There's a night launch of Shuttle Endeavor Friday and my niece Angela and I are considering driving to Cape Canaveral (well, most likely Titusville) to watch. It may be delayed due to weather, though, so we'll see. That's one of the very few things on my bucket list.

I'm going to post a Scripture passage at the top of my blog every time I post. Good for me, good for you!

Crazy Crossword Clues

My friend Lorie was in Daytona Beach with some friends, so I trekked over there Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, I picked her up and we went to New Smyrna Beach for lunch at J.B.'s Fish Camp, but it was kind of cold on the beach and it was high tide. Friday we hung out at the timeshare they were staying at in Daytona. The tide wasn't quite as high and it was sunny and warm. I had a great time just shooting the breeze. I think I need more human interaction (but not too much)! Now that's it cooler, I need to get my butt to the beach more often, even if it's just me and a good book. It's so relaxing to sit or walk and watch and listen to the ocean.

In an earlier post I mentioned doing crossword puzzles and promised to share the most common clues I come across. Feel free to add to the list. Listing these is just a lame exercise to amuse myself. :)

French sword: EPEE
TV's Tarzan: ELY
Captain Hook's right hand man: SMEE
Stable morsel: OAT
Songwriter's org: ASCAP
Greek letters: ALPHA,BETA,GAMMA,DELTA,EPSILON,ZETA,ETA,
THETA,IOTA,KAPPA,LAMBDA,MU,NU,XI,OMICRON,PI,RHO,SIGMA,
TAU,UPSILON,PHI,CHI,PSI,OMEGA
Roman numerals: I,II,III,etc.,V(five),X(ten),L(50),C(100),D(500),M(1,000)
I never seem to be able to remember the high value ones.

Okay, that's it for now. Thanks for visiting.

A non-racist, non-redneck, native western Pennsylvanian, sitting here bitterly clinging to my guns and religion

I sat here earlier today and wrote a post detailing the very newsworthy items about Barack Obama that the mainstream press sat on, ignored or brushed over. I decided not to post it. What's the point? We elected someone we know very little about. Done, it's over. What I have done this morning is join several PACs and I, along with many like-minded friends, will start to work immediately on the mid-term elections in '10. I posted earlier in the fall that I would not use this as a political forum. Well, it's my blog and I just changed my mind. If you're offended, you have the right to ignore it.

God bless America.

All Clear!

Got the thumbs up after the colonoscopy today. Everything is A-OK. The prep, as most people will tell you, is far worse than the actual procedure. I don't know what they give you to knock you out for conscious sedation, but you feel fabulous when you wake up!

My friend Lorie is in Daytona for the week and tomorrow or Thursday we'll get together. She was here visiting me early June. The weather hasn't been real warm this week. Good for me, but bad for beachcombers!

I've been doing crossword puzzles regularly and I've been getting better at them. It helps when you realize that crossword creators use a lot of the same clues. I'll list some for ya tomorrow.

It's Election Day and I'm already sick of the TV pundits analyzing what little info there is to analyze. At 6:44 p.m., it's not much. I discovered that my absentee ballot was received by the county election office on October 23rd. Remember that I misplaced it and don't recall ever mailing it....so I don't know what to think of that. I really don't. TOTALLY BAFFLED.

It's November already?

Last week I had a follow-up appointment with my ENT doc. Nothing on the MRI indicates an abnormality to explain my hearing loss. Next step is to get some screening bloodwork done then see the neurologist on staff to see if he has any suggestions. Tuesday is the dreaded roto-rooter procedure.

The weather really cooled off last week. One morning it was only 41 degrees and I was loving it! I got a lot of yard work done. Finally. Still lots to do. It rained during the night and it's not too hot, but it's muggy.

I've started to do some (volunteer) writing for Wycliffe Bible Translators. Wycliffe and several associate mission organizations train linguists to study the population groups who have no written language. They, in turn with the community, develop a written language and translate the Bible into the group's mother tongue. Quite an undertaking. I'm working with folks who are doing this work in the Philippines. If you're interested in learning more check out the Wycliffe website.

I neglected to mention that the month of October was breast cancer awareness month and I must do my periodic shout-out for mammography screening. If you're due or overdue, schedule one. Early detection is the key!

Decent weekend

Well, I tried to keep busy this past weekend. On Saturday, I went shopping with my niece, Angela. I should say, she shopped, I looked. On Sunday, my sister-in-law Linda and I went to a home show in Daytona Beach. Both days I was exhausted afterward. Watched the Steelers-Giants game yesterday at home (it was broadcast here). Thought the Stillers were going to pull it off. Guess not.

I decided to do some volunteering at the Cancer Institute at Florida Hospital. Today I went and signed a bunch of paperwork and got a TB skin test. This is more involved than I thought it would be. I'm going to be trained to work in the resource room. Just one afternoon a week for now. I'm glad to be able to do it.

I lost my absentee ballot after spending 2 hours trying to decide how to vote on the constitutional amendments, judges, and other things I never think about. My completed ballot, signed, sealed and waiting to be mailed, just up and disappeared. Quite the mystery. It seems I can go to the polls (early voting in FL) and explain the situation and vote there. I was hoping to avoid that. Is it just me, or does all this early voting invite numerous opportunities for voter fraud? I think I know the answer to that one.

Polling: Art or Science?

If you're wondering why the political polls differ so widely, you can read this interesting article from the AP here.

My newest favorite commercial

A new Nike commercial,"FATE," from their Leave Nothing series, featuring LaDainian Tomlinson and Troy Polamalu. Catch it right here. Love this!

Phooey

I wish I had some motivation to do something. I don't. I've been very tired all week. Frustrating. I do wish the weather would cool off soon. Maybe I'll have the gumption to do the loads of yard work waiting for me to tackle.

The MRI didn't show any abnormalities in my ear, so I guess the doctor will have to decide what's next, if anything. They scan your entire brain in addition to the structure of your ears. The MRI did show vascular changes due to aging. I'm not even 50 yet! I am curious to know exactly what that means, based on the Alzheimer's/dementia that runs rampant in my family.

Tomorrow Joyce and I are going to visit my friend Maxine who lives in the Villages. It's a little over an hour from here. We'll go watch the Steelers at Beef O'Brady's near Maxine's home. Go Steelers!

Blog Action Day - Poverty

Today bloggers unite to highlight a worldwide issue: Poverty. I am not one who thinks that government has the answers to everything. Far from it. But, I do believe that we are to look after one another. The Bible tells us to look after widows and orphans and the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:34-40 instructs us:

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

There are countless ways to help others in need...giving not only cash, but donating time and services. If you do not have a favorite charity and you wonder which organizations use their funds efficiently and honestly, take a look at www.charitynavigator.org, which serves as a watchdog of non-profit groups.

Now, back to me. :) I had my MRI scan yesterday to check out what's happening in my ear. Open MRI is the way to go. Didn't get that crawling skin, claustrophobic feeling. I should have my results tomorrow or Friday.

The compressor on my A/C unit bit the dust over the weekend, so as I write this, a new unit is being installed. Didn't really need that big expense right now, but I guess there never is a really good time. I would complain about how hot and miserable I've been since Saturday, but I just posted about world poverty. so that wouldn't be very appropriate now, would it?

Jacksonville - The Southern HQ of Steeler Nation!

We had a great time at the game Sunday night. It was a close game and of course, it always helps when your team wins. We met a bunch of Steeler fans, including those from the Jax Steelers club and Steel City Mafia. The weather was good and there was a nice cool breeze. The next day, on the way back, we stopped in St. Augustine for lunch and visited the shops in Old Town.

The stadium had so many Steeler fans waving Terrible Towels, it was almost like a home game! Below is an article from a former NFL player who agrees that the Steelers are the best fans in the NFL. By the way, 25% is a low ball figure for the amount of Steeler fans in the crowd.


Tuck's Takes: Steelers fans are unquestionably best in the NFL (by Ross Tucker)

The news out of Jacksonville Monday morning that approximately 25 percent of the fans for Sunday night's Steelers-Jags contest were waving yellow Terrible Towels came as no surprise to me. The Steelers have the most dominant fan base in the National Football League and their ability to consistently travel, en masse, and infest other team's stadiums gives the Steelers a competitive advantage that no other franchise can claim.

For the record, I grew up in eastern Pennsylvania, was an Eagles fan during my youth and subsequently played for five NFL squads that were not located in Pittsburgh, so I have no allegiance whatsoever to the Steelers or their fans. I just call it like I see it.

Seemingly minutes within signing with a new team, a player will be told by someone within the organization that, unequivocally, they have the best fans in the world. And though there are thousands of die-hard fans in Green Bay, Washington, Dallas, Buffalo, Cleveland, New England, and every other NFL city, the simple truth is very evident to every player in the NFL: Steelers fans are the best in the business.

My thoughts on NFL fans were confirmed in a recent straw poll of a couple active players who said the Steelers fans far and away do the best job of taking away a home team's advantage. None of the players wanted to state their feelings publicly and disenchant their own fans, and for good reason, but the fact remains there is nothing quite as powerful in the NFL as Steeler Nation.

I realized this for the first time in 2004, while playing for a resurgent Bills team that was one win away from a playoff berth. Running out of the home tunnel and seeing the smattering of Terrible Towels and black and yellow in the stands was disheartening. The Steelers had already clinched homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, so this final regular season game was meaningless to them, yet their fans had made the trip in droves.

Though playing at home doesn't assure a team a victory, there are typically four significant advantages to playing in the friendly confines. There is no travel involved. The field and facility are familiar. The players can certainly feed off the energy of the home crowd. The noise can make it difficult for the opposing team's offense to call audibles or utilize the snap count to their advantage. Ask any offensive tackle how much fun it is blocking elite rushers on a silent cadence. They flat-out detest it.

The significant presence of Steelers fans in opposing stadiums, whether they are Steel City transplants or folks who traveled in for the game, effectively eliminates the last two advantages. It is difficult to feed off the energy of the home crowd when you look up in the stands and see that a significant portion of the crowd is actually cheering for the other team. Plus, the noise is not nearly as deafening when less than 80 percent of the fans in the stands are screaming in unison.

All of this adds up to the Steelers having a significant competitive advantage based upon their fans' ability to partially, if not completely, eliminate some of the basic reasons teams are so happy to play at home in the first place.

I know exactly what everyone is going to write in their e-mails to me. First, people are going to comment on the Jags having arguably the worst fans in the NFL, and I will not dispute that in the slightest. People in Jacksonville would probably be more excited to watch an SEC clash between Kentucky and Vanderbilt. But it is not just Jacksonville. Seemingly, no stadium is truly immune to the Steelers culture.

Secondly, I am well aware that the Packers, Raiders, Cowboys and Redskins, just to name a few, have great fans who pop up in away stadiums every time their team is on the road. Trust me, it does not compare to Steelers fans. I have played for some of those teams and it is not even close. The Steelers have the best fans in the NFL.

Steelers!

Can you believe this is the first time I've mentioned my favorite NFL team this season? Yeah, me neither. This Sunday night the Steelers play the Jaguars in Jacksonville and I will be there!

I'm having a colonoscopy on Election Day. LOL. I'm sure you didn't need or want to know that. Because of that "date," I requested an absentee ballot. Holy moly, I'm glad I did....there are tons of (local) issues to vote on that I know nothing about. Going to have to do some research before I complete it!

By the way, voter fraud is NOT COOL. Get your act together, Ohio! (My former neighbor state)

Hey! It's my birthday!

Wow, where did the year go? I was undergoing my 3rd chemo treatment this time last year. Hard to believe that much time has passed already.

I saw a new ENT doc yesterday. I like him. They did another hearing test and my hearing in my right ear is actually worse than the last one. My hearing in my left ear is perfect. Thank God for small favors. There was a point about a month ago that I thought my hearing had slightly improved. This was just as I was finishing my 2nd (and stronger) round of steroids. Since I had a ravenous appetite the entire time I was on them, I've decided I'd rather live with hearing loss than wanting to eat 24/7. The other downside to long-term steroid use is that it can cause necrosis (the death of living cells or tissues) in the hip joints. Since I already have severe arthritis in my left hip...well, steroids is probably not the best option. The ENT said they can inject a steroid into the inner ear canal, which would avoid the systemic approach of oral treatment, but I will need to see an ear surgeon for that. I will have that MRI I've been putting off. It will hopefully determine the cause of the sudden hearing loss and perhaps it can be treated. Until then....HUH??? Talk to my left ear please.

I am discovering how many times one can renew a library book. FIVE. I'm lucky if I read a chapter every other night. So I am only halfway through "Prodigal Summer" by Barbara Kingsolver. I find some of her views slightly annoying, but I enjoy her writing style and she is often able to combine descriptions of nature with some very profound thoughts. I'll share one with you:

Eddie Bondo had spoken of acorn woodpeckers he'd seen in the West, funny creatures that worked together to drill a dead tree full of little holes, cached thousands of acorns in them, and then spent the rest of their days defending their extravagant treasure from marauding neighbors. How pointless life could be, what a foolish business of inventing things to love, just so you could dread losing them.

So very true and something I need to be reminded of often. It brings to mind Matthew 6:19-21:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Take a moment to pray...

...for this amazing family. Cancer devastates families. I have the link to their CaringBridge website in the sidebar on the right. The Taylor family pours out its soul and they articulate things in a way that will break your heart. I am embarrassed by some of the inane things I post here when I read their blog. Read it....you will be touched and inspired, AND very much inclined to pray for them.

Yadda, yadda, yadda

I'd like to blog more often, but I've been running out of things to talk about, in case you haven't noticed. Part of it is me just being lazy. I need some motivation. What kind of updates would you like me to post about?

Waiting for Autumn (Florida-Autumn, that is)

It's Friday already? Gee, where does the time go?

Again, nothing much to report. It's still HOT here.

My life is boring.

Have a great weekend everyone!

I just want to say....

...one thing about the presidential campaigns. Why, why, why do we need to obtain our information of the candidates via the filter of the news media? And I mean both sides...conservative and liberal. Do we no longer think for ourselves? I wish the American public could submit questions to candidates that WE believe are important and have a forum where the politicians could respond directly to the voters of this country without a bunch of talking heads going on ad nauseum about their perspectives. And that's all I'm going to say. I'm not going to use my blog to spout off on my political opinions. I promise. :-)

Let us not forget....

O'LEARY / THE WASHINGTON POST
Each of the 184 benches in the Pentagon Memorial is mirrored in a pool of trickling water that contains an underwater light to shine each bench's underside at night. The benches are oriented along the exact path of Flight 77, arranged according to whether victims were killed in the plane or in the Pentagon.

As for me, same old, same old. Not much new to report. I started painting again. I really want to get the rest of the house down before the holidays. It's been so humid that it's really not a great time to paint. We have a little rain and wind from Ike, but it looks like it's definitely headed for Texas. I hope it weakens before that.

Hi all

Sorry I've been lazy about posting. Not much new here. Still job-hunting, weed pulling and avoiding hurricanes. Ike could pose a problem next week, but it's still too early to know for sure. Won't worry about it for now.

Joe and Linda have Wii Fit and I got to try it out last Saturday and Sunday. I did lunges for the first time in ages and my quadriceps were sore for 2 days! I am trying to do some type of physical activity every day. I'm looking forward to at least slightly cooler temps in the fall, but it won't be until late October, early November at the earliest.

I'll check in again soon. I hope you are all doing well! xoxoxo

Good appoinment

My appointment with my medical oncologist went well yesterday. No breast cancer issues, praise God. I'll have a breast MRI in December. My next mammogram will be about 6 months after that. He agreed I should have the MRI for my ear and said that there is an open MRI with Florida Hospital in Lake Mary, about 20 minutes from here. My hip was really bothering me yesterday, but is much better today. Not sure why it was hurting so bad, but I had ice on it last night, so that must have helped. I was able to work outside today with the dogs for about an hour.

Congratulations to my great-nephew, Aidan, on being so excited about starting kindergarten! He told my sister Van, "It was awesome!"

I posted a pic of my dogs when they were wee little. Gosh, they're cute!

What's that bright yellow thing in the sky?

I'm back to a 4-wheel vehicle since we're back to typical Florida rains. There was enough sun the last two days to begin tackling yard work. Had to chop up a tree that got hit by something and was threatening the neighbor's pool enclosure. SOOO much work to do. I can't wait till late fall; I'm mowing down everything. I hope to start making bigger islands and get rid of a lot of this St. Augustine's grass and generally make things much more low maintenance. I just can't keep up with it all anymore.

I have a 3 month follow-up appointment with my medical oncologist tomorrow. Need to get his input on my loss of hearing. I think the steroids slightly helped, but they made me hungry all the time. I guess I'll have to undergo the MRI to see if there's a nodule on a nerve inside my inner auditory canal.

Other than that, still job hunting. Hope something develops soon.

Have a great week, everyone!

My current form of transportation...

Yes, it is STILL raining. Everything is very green, I have to admit. My weeds are growing fabulously. So far, no roof leaks, flooding or the like going on around my house, but it's a real chore to get the dogs to go outside. Geez, they're stubborn!

Fay

Tropical Storm Fay is parked right off the coast of Daytona Beach. It's been raining constantly since yesterday afternoon. I think we'll overcome our prior rain deficit. Fortunately, there doesn't seem to be a lot of damage from the storm, although my rose arbor has crashed and burned. It was starting to rust out, anyway. The city actually was out collecting trash this morning. I had to retrieve my garbage can from the neighbor's yard a little earlier. And miracle of miracles, I haven't lost power! YAY.

"Let There Be Air"

Thank God He spoke air into the world. And created air conditioning.

Things are cool again and it feels wonderful. There was a blown fuse that was relatively easy to fix. And it didn't cost a truckload of money. I'm happy!

Maybe I'm imagining it, but I think I'm hearing a little better in my right ear. I keep testing it out. :)

Quick Check-In

Just a quick post to let everyone know I arrived back in FL yesterday afternoon. Flight was fine, but my A/C went out last week and we think it's a bad board on the unit. No air conditioning in Florida for a woman with frequent hot flashes: not good. I'm praying I can get it fixed tomorrow before the bad weather from Tropical Storm Fay comes around and all the electrical and A/C techs go out for storm duty later this week.

I had a great time in Pennsylvania. It went by very quickly, was very hectic and I wasn't able to see everyone. The weather was beautiful.

My hearing is still an issue. I'm on stronger steroids and I'll need to schedule an MRI this week. Rats.

Crazy Week

Well, I'm certainly not bored! I've been pretty busy, seeing people, calling people, running here and there...I swear I'm asleep before my head hits the pillow!

We took my brother John to a doctor's appointment Tuesday. He's hanging in there, no better, no worse. Last night we went to a BBQ where he lives. We had a really nice time.

Yesterday morning I went to my ENT doctor. I had a hearing test and the hearing loss in my right ear is pretty significant. He prescribed a stronger dose of steriods and I'm going to schedule an MRI after I get back to Florida. More fun and games.

I'm chilling out this morning then my sisters and I are meeting for lunch, then I'll spend some time at John's playing Wii. I'll see some friends and fam later today.

Greetings from Pennsylvania!

Got in late Friday afternoon. The flight was briefly delayed because thunderstorms moved into the Orlando area around the time we would've been boarding. We left maybe 25 minutes later, but the flight was fine, my ear didn't bother me and it arrived just maybe 20 minutes late. Chrissy and the boys picked me up. They're so cute!

The weather has been gorgeous. It's actually been very cool in the mornings and evenings. I've been sleeping with a window open and this morning I awoke to cows mooing at the dairy farm across the road. Loved it!

Yesterday I brought Becky with me to church. It's always a blessing to see all the super folks there. Then the family all got together at Anita's. Got to spend some quality time with my adorable great-nephews and great-niece. Ravioli, meatballs, roasted chicken, fresh veggies, dessert...the food was great and we had a really good time.

I'm running a few errands today and calling some friends. Wednesday morning I have an appointment with the ENT doc I went to while living here. Amazingly, he participates in my insurance plan.

Love and blessings to all...will write again soon. xoxoxo

Ciao

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Here's the latest:

* I have severe arthritis in my left hip
* My hearing loss may be permanent....have to have an MRI to see what's up

Good news is that July 26th marked a year since my lumpectomy. I'm not sure how they determine from when you are considered to be cancer-free. I think the term is No Evidence of Disease (NED). So, one year out from surgery, I have NED. :-)

Traveling to PA Friday. My hearing loss may be caused by chemo, a slight infarction in an inner ear blood vessel, or who knows what else. Air travel won't affect it.

I have an interview tomorrow for a copywriting position. It's with a recruiter, so I really don't know who the company is, but I'm glad I have an interview.

Will post more soon. xoxoxo

Heh?

Yes, that's right...still can't hear out of my ear. It's slightly better, but not by much. I still get a little dizzy and felt like crap most of the day yesterday. I'm still taking amoxicillin and the decongestant. Phooey.

I went for my MRI on Friday. Fun...um, NOT! It wasn't like the breast MRI where you lie face down and you're really not aware you're in a tube. I was getting very claustrophobic and was soaked with sweat. It took about 45-50 minutes and I think I counted every second. Praying got me through it...several times I was like, "Ok! You can get me out of here now!" I'll have the results at the beginning of the week I imagine. I had my follow-up appt. with my radiation oncologist. I didn't see him; I saw his nurse-practitioner. She was very pleased with the results of my tests and scans. They want to see my again at the end of the year after my next mammogram.

Oh, almost forgot...didn't make it to PA this weekend. Long story. My nephew, Jeff, is sick and is highly contagious and we all felt it was a good idea for me to postpone my trip. I could stay at Anita's but I really wouldn't be able to see Jeff or go over to their house and training camp is definitely out for him. Not only that, but this pesky ear infection might have been difficult to deal with on a plane. So I rescheduled for August 8th and we still might be able to make the Steelers' camp. Thankfully, the airline didn't charge me anything to change my flights and I'm actually saving some money. Who would've thought that? I feel bad, mostly for Jeff, a little for me...we have a family reunion next Sunday (Dad's side) and Joyce went up to Pittsburgh by herself. She's staying with her brother and his family, and we were just going to get together in Latrobe, but still.

I was at Joe's and Linda's yesterday. I was driving back home around dusk and spotted 2 deer grazing at the side of the road. That was the first time I've seen deer in Florida. They looked just like Bella!

Greetings

I've been busy this week, getting ready for my trip, looking for work, cleaning, doing laundry and attempting to get rid of this ear infection once and for all. I made a return trip to the ER on Tuesday as I really wasn't feeling any better. The ER doc said that my ear had cleared up, but there was probably some fluid in the station tube behind the eardrum. She prescribed a decongestant and that seems to be working. She said I'd be okay to fly.

Today's a busy day...have a few appointments and some errands to run in the afternoon, including seeing my radiation oncologist for a follow-up (I thought it was next month) and I'm picking up my compression sleeve from my occupational therapist.

Friday is the MRI for my hip, then I need to pack not only for myself, but my dogs and cat for their vacation with my brother's family. I take frequent breaks, trust me.

Say what?

I've had a minor sore throat for a few days and had been sneezing a bit, so I thought I might be getting a cold. Late yesterday morning, my right ear felt plugged up and I'd hear a tone with every sound. Very weird. Then in the afternoon, I picked up the phone to make a call and there was no dial tone, or so I thought. I put the phone up to my left ear and viola! dial tone. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear a thing out of my right ear. Nada. And I was a little dizzy. I figured it was an ear infection and called the doctor's office around 2:30 and left a message, but by 6:30 I still hadn't heard back so I called the answering service and the on-call doc responded. She apologized that no one got back to me. She felt I should go to a walk-in clinic or ER. I called Linda and we discovered there were no clinics open. I thought they were open 24/7. Shows you what I know! So I drove to DeLand to my bro's house; their ER is much more efficient than the one closest to me. Linda came with me and we were in and out of there very quickly. I was amazed! I have a middle ear infection, so now I'm stocked with amoxicillin and prednisolone. I used to get ear infections way back when and they were always miserable, but this isn't nearly as bad, thank God.

So that was just a very long-winded way to say, "Hey! I've got an ear infection!" Go ahead, you're now permitted to talk amongst yourselves.

Now that's what I call a sandcastle!

Kidney stone!

The PET scan revealed I have a kidney stone. I don't have any symptoms, though. I had one about 6 years ago and it was quite painful. If it begins to move I'm sure I'll know it!

The scan also showed signs consistent with degeneration and inflammation in my left hip, which is not surprising since my ortho doc told me about 2 months ago that I have a very arthritic hip! My oncologist recommended an MRI to establish a baseline. I'll try to do that as soon as possible, even though he said it wasn't an emergency. Don't want to mess around with that.

Everything else is clear. Thank you, God!! I see my medical and radiation oncologists again in August. Next mammo is in December.

Is a job opportunity an "opportunity" when you must invest $25K of your own money?

I won't go into details, but this job doing marketing research sounded very interesting. TOO interesting, as it turns out. Yeah, I have $25,000 in my pocket to throw into some multi-level marketing scheme. I wish careerbuilder.com vetted their "clients" more thoroughly. There's a scam around every corner!

Saturday in Tampa was fun. Marissa's apartment is very nice. I expected your typical crappy student apartment, but it's a very nice complex, looks fairly new, is gated and has a security system. Maybe all the security is because it's not really that far from an area known for crime. But Marissa is excited and she continues to work tutoring the university's finest athletes. There's a joke in there somewhere, I'm sure. She starts her senior year in the fall and is contemplating grad school. Good for you, kiddo! Auntie's very proud of you.

Before we headed back home we went to Alessi's, a bakery about 15 minutes or so from campus. I had heard about it from family, but it was my first time there. I had a slice of Neapolitan pizza, just about as good as what my mom used to make. And I also brought home a few things one should not eat when trying to lose weight! Alessi's is known for their very imaginative cake and cupcake decorating. I love the three layer cake on the right that has a piece of it sitting on top. Cute! I was very tired by the time we got home and I think I was asleep by 10:00 p.m.!

I was supposed to have my CT/PET scan Monday, but I woke up with a headache which continued to get worse. Caffeine withdrawal, I imagine, even though I've been drinking half caf/half decaf for weeks. I was starting to get nauseous before noon so I called and they were able to reschedule me for yesterday. I took ibuprofen before I went to bed and as soon as I got up in the morning. They are so incredibly accommodating at the Cancer Institute's Imaging Center. When I left there around 4:15, it was raining kitties and puppies. I made a beeline to the closest coffee shop, which in this case was Starbuck's. To my surprise, the traffic wasn't bad going east (to home). The other direction was very backed up from an earlier accident. Anyhow, my doctor should have the test results sometime tomorrow.

We have definitely been experiencing a sort of monsoon season. It's raining every day, but not the typical rain that lasts for 10 minutes and the sun comes out again. This rain lasts for hours. I don't mind it after the weeks and weeks of dry weather in the spring. Of course, my dainty dogs pitch a hissy fit if they have to get more than a little bit wet outside. WHO spoiled them so rotten??

Trying not to be bored...

Well, the weekend is here. This past week I've been job hunting, painting and pulling some weeds. Tomorrow I'm going to drive over to Tampa with my sister-in-law Linda, nieces Angela and Elizabeth to move stuff to my niece Marissa's apartment. I won't be doing a lot of heavy lifting, but hey, every little bit helps!

Sunday I'll stay home, clean, do laundry, etc. Very exciting. On Monday I have my first CT/PT scan since before I began chemotherapy. It's a long process, but fairly easy. No eating 6 hours prior to the test, but water is allowed. They inject you with a radioactive glucose then you wait until your body tissues absorb it. They look for any unusual metabolic activity. It's pretty thorough.

I brought Stella to the vet today. I think she has a mild urinary tract infection. I was able to provide them with a sample by running around after her today when she went outside to pee and catching some in a jar. It was inconclusive as to whether she has an infection, but she's on a course of Clavamox (amoxicillin) just to be on the safe side. Otherwise, she seems fine. She has to lose weight, but I knew that already.

I put up new pics of the critters at the end of this page. Have a good weekend everyone!

A year from diagnosis

Today is one year since I was diagnosed with bresst cancer. I use this date because it's the date on the pathology report from my biospy. The time went by really quickly, although I counted down each chemo session, looking forward to the last one.

The 4th of July was good...we grilled. That night the local fireworks were pretty annoying...especially for my "kids." And by local I mean the dozens of people in my subdivision who set off their own in their backyard. I was glad that the next morning I didn't come across used bottle rockets, sparklers, etc. Last night was the first quiet night and I really appreciated it!

My job hunt is continuing. The downside of searching and applying online is that because your resume is posted, you receive a lot of unsolicited "opportunities" disguised as something interesting. I've received requests for dubious sales positions, but nothing from the jobs for which I actually applied.

I've started painting again. I really want to get the rest of the house done. I just need to pace myself and not overdo it with my arm.

I'm looking forward to my trip to Pennsylvania at the end of the month. My trip just happens to coincide with Steelers training camp. What a coincidence!

I hope it rains really hard tomorrow night...

...so people can't set off fireworks. In their backyard. Which I thought was illegal. I have nothing against big "official" displays, but hearing my neighbors do this is really annoying. My dogs and cat absolutely freak out. The dogs bark the entire time. They even get agitated when they hear fireworks on TV. And usually the next morning there is a bunch of fireworks litter all over everyone's lawns. Makes me wish I was living out in the middle of nowhere!!!!!! So, anyway, I am hoping for a torrential downpour after dark. So there.

It's also annoying when you respond to a job opportunity online and you get a bunch of spam as a result. And once again, I got the blue screen of death on my PC. Running anti-virus and anti-spyware software on a regular basis isn't doing the trick. Not happy.

I'm trying to plan a trip to Pennsylvania at the end of this month, beginning of next. I need to know when I'll receive my compression sleeve, because I can't fly without one.

I've been writing a lot of crabby posts lately. I swear my frame of mind is worse than it was while I was undergoing treatment. The boredom is getting to me!

My dog is really a pig

The dogs and I spent yesterday afternoon at my bro's house. We had burgers and hot dogs on the grill. I brought a hot dog home with me to have for lunch today, but Stella had other ideas. I brought them and my stuff in the house, put my bag on the floor, shut off the alarm and took them outside. Stella didn't follow me so I figured she was trying to eat Levi's food. She wasn't, to my amazement. Instead, however, she was sitting in my chair near my PC (where she sits most of the time when I'm using the computer) chewing on something. "Something" turned out to be a piece of hot dog. I looked in my bag and an empty bun in plastic wrap was sitting there. She ate the whole thing and very quickly! AND it was an extra long Nathan hot dog. I could not believe it. Then she expected me to feed her. Don't think so! She knew I was mad and stayed away from me for awhile. She's a piece of work, I tell you.

Last night I saw a new E*TRADE commercial. Hilarious:

New Kitty

I saw my surgeon on Friday and everything is cool. She wants to see me again after my next mammogram in 6 months. I went to lymphodema therapy on Friday and I don't need to go back unless it flares up. The therapist is ordering a compression sleeve for me that I'll need to wear when I fly. The cabin pressure can cause tissue to swell, and with lymphedema, that's not a good thing.

I've been job hunting. Nothing so far. I need something soon....I'm bored and I need to make some money.

My brother's family has a new kitty. His name is Rambo. He's pretty cute. If Rambo is a play on "rambunctious," it fits, trust me. The dogs are freaked out by him. I hope they get used to him soon. Levi hasn't met him yet.

La de da...

I am bored, bored, bored, but don't feel like doing anything. Does that make sense? It's very hot and humid, so working outside is out of the question!

I don't have to go to lymphedema therapy again until next Friday. My forearm isn't tender anymore and it's hard to tell that it's ever so slightly swollen. Hope it stays that way.

I've been reading screenplays of movies I have recently seen or have seen many times over because it's one of my favorites. I'm trying to get accustomed to the format and trying to follow the films in my head. I've had an idea for a script for years, but have yet to put pen to paper. Maybe reading this stuff will motivate me.

When Jeff, Lili and I went to New Smyrna Beach earlier this month, we came across a lot of jellyfish. Apparently I've never seen one before because I thought the first one I saw was the bottom of a bottle broken off. I amaze myself sometimes.

Here's Lili holding one:

Mammo all clear!

After my lymphodema therapy, I dropped off my mammography films at the Imaging Center. The radiologist reviewed them and everything is okie-dokie. No ultrasound needed. Thank you, God! I'll see my surgeon again to review everything with her. Next up: PT scan mid-July.

The Bright House tech was here for over 6 hours yesterday! He had to rewire everything the DirecTV tech did. He also put in a new jack on the wall where my PC resides. I'll miss the satellite, but this is saving me money. Glad that's all done.

Hot today. I wasn't in the yard for 10 minutes and I was sweating. Nice and cool in my house. Staying here the rest of the day!

I'm stupid!

I'm spending the day waiting for Bright House Networks to come and install digital cable and phone. I already have BH Internet. I have to say goodbye to DirecTV and NFL Sunday Ticket. Can't afford it and I'll save money with the BH package. I'm hoping that a lot of the Steeler games are on national TV and those that aren't will have to viewed at one of the bars/restaurants in the area that broadcast them. ;-)

I have spent the last week trying to track down my mammography films. I had my first post-op mammogram this past Friday and they need the previous ones for comparison. So prior to that, I had called the 2 locations where I used to go for mammograms, my radiation oncologist, my surgeon, my medical oncologist and the hospital's breast care coordinator. No luck and I started to get frantic. Then I thought, maybe I should make sure I don't have them, although I don't why I would. Well, I started looking around this morning and OF COURSE, I DO HAVE THEM!! Geeeeez. I can't stand myself. Tomorrow I'll bring them to Florida Hospital's Imaging Center and hoping they can read them all at that time. And that will be their permanent home from this point on. At least now they are using digital mammography so all future ones will be stored on their system.

My arm is doing much better. I go 3 more times this week for therapy, then I should be okay barring any flareups. I'm trying to use my left arm more, but it ain't easy. Try picking up a watermelon with your non-dominant arm and hand.

I had a great time while Jeff and Lili were here. They flew back to Pennsylvania on Thursday. My energy level was better than expected, but it caught up to me this weekend. I was a little melancholy after they left. I've had a string of company since early May. I really have to find a way to spend more time in PA, especially during the summer. I'm having a tough time with the Florida heat and I miss everyone there. My dream is to sell my house, buy a condo here and a house in PA. I'm not asking for much, right?

While Jeff and Lili were here, we went to Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Sea World, Ocala and West Palm Beach. Lili made Pancit and Lumpia for all of us. I love that. I've made Pancit before and now I'll try to make Lumpia. Her stuff tastes great, so I'll have to practice a few times to get it right I think. Joe, Lili, Jeff and I drove to West Palm Beach a week ago Sunday to visit our aunt, uncle and cousins, including our cousin Jo Ann, visiting from Austin. She made Tutilles (not sure I'm spelling that right), which are an Italian bagel-type thing that my mom used to make. She found a recipe on the Internet. I have my mom's recipe and made them yesterday. Brings back many fond memories.

They were also a big help to me. Among other things, they reorganized my garage and did a lot of weeding. Now my tomato plants and herbs have some room to breathe. Not sure how well you can tell, but the cherry tomatoes (in the 2nd picture) have been doing well, but the plums were attacked by fruitworms. We are finally in the rainy season, so everything should finally green up and take off. And we should be out of danger for wildfires at this point.

I have an incredible amount of important things to do, and I really can't procrastinate anymore! I also need to find a real job. I could use some prayer in both regards. And I will try to post here more often than once a week.

My high school's 30th reunion was last fall. I never go. High school was not the most pleasant time for me. They're having a picnic this summer. Let it go, already! LOL. I went to the website to look at pics from the 30th and my first thought was, "Who the heck are all these old people?" It was a bit shocking. I guess I still think I'm 21.

Speaking of being 21, Happy 21st Birthday to my niece, Marissa!! Her sister, my youngest niece, turned 17 in May. Another reality check!

Ciao!

Hey everyone....I'm doing fine. I'm really enjoying spending time with Jeff and Lili Rose. Will catch up with you later this week.

Happy Birthday, Patty!!

He shoots, he scores!

I forgot how nerve-wracking it is to watch hockey. Pro hockey doesn't get a lot of attention in Florida and I haven't been following the Pittsburgh Penguins since I moved here. But I watched the game last night, all the way into triple overtime. I must've fallen asleep the second after the winning goal, because I remember opening my eyes and seeing the local newscast and don't remember anything in between. Game 6 tomorrow night!

My first lymphedema therapy session went well. The therapist explained the lymph system to me in great detail. They use massage to help the lymph fluids flow. I go tomorrow and she'll demonstrate some exercises. I'll go 3 times next week and take if from there.

My nephew Jeff and his wife Lili will be here Thursday afternoon. I still have a lot to do before they come. I'm tired and it's TOO hot and muggy. I wouldn't mind being in Alaska this time of year. Seriously.

Better

The cortisone injection I received last week has really alleviated the bursitis. Hope it lasts awhile. Mind you, I don't feel like doing handsprings, but it is a definite improvement!

Tomorrow I go to a lympheodema center to see what I can or can't do from now on. Not real happy that I will have a lot of restrictions. I already know I shouldn't lift more than 8 lbs. with my right arm...and geez....a case of bottled water is heavier than that! So is Stella, Bella and Levi. By the way, it seems lympheodema can be spelled with or without the "o." Woo hoo.

On Friday I saw my radiation oncologist and his nurse-practitioner. It went well. He wants to see me again after my PT scan at the end of July. I have to schedule my mammogram tomorrow. I wasn't sure if I should go back to the place in Orlando where I had my biopsy or go to the new radiologist at the Florida Hospital closest to me. There was a big shake-up at the place I used to go to, so my other radiologist (who read my MRIs and did the biopsy) probably isn't even there anymore. This new guy spoke at the last BC support meeting and I was very impressed. Lots of good credentials and very knowledgeable. My radiation oncologist told me that since the lumpectomy and radiation, things will look quite different and this next mammo will be my new baseline, so as long as the new radiologist has my previous images, it should be fine to switch now.

Forgot to take my sleeping aid last night and I didn't sleep well at all. Wide awake in the middle of the night. Then I feel asleep close to morning and had incredibly bizarre dreams. The kind that seem sort of real. Hate that!

I give up trying to grow vegetables down here. The leaves on my tomato plants were being eaten by some tiny pest and now it looks like some type of worm is eating the fruit. I'm not doing this again....GRRRR

Interesting how I seem to be complaining about stuff more now than I did while undergoing treatment. What's up with that??

Oops!

Somewhere in my pea brain I thought my appointment with my radiation oncologist was early afternoon today. It wasn't. It was at 10:00 a.m. and I didn't drag myself out of bed until 9:30, which is when I realized my mistake. I had 10:00 a.m. in my calendar, but you not only have to look at your calendar, what's on the page has to actually connect with your brain. I called the office and rescheduled for tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.

I've got plenty of things to do, but my major accomplishment today has been to go back to bed and read a book. I think I'm going to put an ice pack on my aching arm. I wonder how I'm going to get things done since I'm right-handed and that's the side that's affected and it hurts just to reach for something. Should be interesting.

Ancient!

That's how I'm feeling this evening. After x-rays today, my orthopedic doctor said I have bursitis AND arthritis in my left hip. Oh, and degenerative disc disease, too. He gave me a shot of cortisone in my hip and would like to see me in 2 weeks unless it's feeling better. He told me that I would let him know when I need a hip replacement. GAH!

My arm is aching and I'm very, very tired. Time to hit the couch and watch some hockey. Go Penguins!

Sigh.

3 month checkup

My visit with my medical oncologist went well. My sister-in-law Linda came with me since I can't remember anything. He wants me to be evaluated for lymphoedema. He said if that's what it is, it's very mild. I hope it's just swelling from radiation.

My blood counts are fine. They'll be checking tumor markers and I have my script for a mammogram. This will be routine for some time to come. I'll have a PT scan at the end of July, which is about a year from my surgery. Can you believe that?

I see an orthopedic doc this afternoon and my radiation oncologist tomorrow. I'll report back later. Good day all!

Salute to the Troops

Thanks to all who serve now, served in the past, or lost loved ones in battle.

Sorry I've lagged behind in my posting. It was a busy (for me, anyway), week and a half!

The time spent in Vero Beach was very nice. Beautiful home, beautiful area. The woman who owns the home is a truly wonderful person. It was quite hot most days, though, and flies were biting!

I picked up some pretty seashells. I was surprised to see so many since Daytona and New Smyrna didn't have many washing up on the beach a couple of weeks ago.

Last Wednesday we drove from Vero to West Palm Beach (about 80 miles) to see my aunt and uncle. Always a good visit.

I don't admit this to very many people, but I watch American Idol. I watched it for the first time the season before last and then this season, so I'm not completely addicted to it. I have to say that I'm happy that David Cook won. SWEET!

This week is going to be very busy. I see my medical oncologist Tuesday, then an orthopedic doctor and my radiation oncologist later in the week. It's time for my 3 month follow up, so I'll be having a mammogram and I imagine some blood work. My right arm is bothering me a bit, slightly swollen in the forearm and tender. I'm praying it's not lymphodema! And, as usual, I tire VERY easily!

We received some MUCH needed rain this past week. My front lawn is looking green again. The weeds are another story.

Long time, no hear from

Hi everyone. Got back from Vero Beach last night. Van goes back to Pennsylvania tomorrow. I get my first hair cut today! ;-) I'll report more later....Cheers.

Rain please!

I'm about ready to do a rain dance. SOOO dry here. Wildfires are popping up here and there and in devastating fashion in Brevard County. Some of those fires have destroyed homes and they believe it is arson. GRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!! How cruel can you be?

I woke up with a blasted headache this morning. It's finally going away. Van arrives tomorrow so I'm getting ready for her. We head for Vero Beach on Saturday.

This evening is my monthly breast cancer support group. We're having a speaker and dinner. Really great group of people and I'm thankful for the wonderful resource they've been.

Happy Mother's Day!

Wishing all the mommies out there a beautiful and blessed Mother's Day!

Good times

Lorie flew back to Philly yesterday. We had a good time. We hit the beach every day, including one day with Joyce. That day we went to the seafood shanty in New Smyrna Beach I really like. Blackened grouper for me! Also on that day there were 3 or 4 TV crews on the beach. I figured something was up and sure enough, later we found out that in the morning a six-year-old boy got bit by a small shark while wading in EIGHTEEN inches of water. I knew there was a reason I don't like to venture out into the ocean. The little boy is okay, by the way.

You can't see them very well in this picture, but the purple flag means "Dangerous Marine Life" and I suppose they would rather state that than "SHARK!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" The yellow flag indicates that there is a medium risk of rip currents. Lorie is far more adventurous than I and took a dip in the warm waters anyway. I do have a funny story....the first afternoon Lorie was here we drove to Daytona Beach just to walk and look at the ocean for an hour or so. I had an old quilt in my car (forgot to bring the chairs) and I was lying down and she was sitting talking to me. All of a sudden she's yelling "Susan, Susan!" I'm like, "What is it?" and at that moment this big wave swept underneath the quilt. The quilt was soaked, as were we. We decided that was probably a good time to leave, so we dragged the quilt across the sand to the car. The quilt weighed approximately 500 pounds. It was funny. A vision popped into my head of the scene from "Here to Eternity." Except that we're certainly not a couple and we definitely weren't embracing! LOL

Prayer Requests

I have 4 friends who could really use your prayers:

Isabel - recurrence of breast cancer
Lynda - optic nerve damage resulting in vision loss
Rob - complications from cancer treatment
Teresa - side effects of cancer treatment

These are all quite serious conditions; I'm sure they would greatly appreciate your prayers!

I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 2 Timothy 1:3

House & Garden

Linda and Marissa came over today to help me with some touch-up work and hang a mirror. I really appreciated the help. Yesterday I was so frustrated trying to do things. I wish I had more patience!

Lorie will be here tomorrow afternoon and it'll give me an excuse to take a break from house stuff. It'll be great to relax with a good friend. She goes back to Philly on Friday.

One of my butterfly asters bloomed yesterday. I think they're asters, but the leaves are different than most asters. If anyone knows if this is another type of plant, let me know!



And my lone sunflower, which came up from a leftover sunflower seed from last year. The birds scattered seed everywhere last summer and I'm surprised one made it through the winter!

Feeling Icky

Not feeling so great today. Feel tired and my back hurts. No painting today. I worked outside for about 20 minutes; it was too hot. So I washed a small mountain of laundry and did some paperwork.

I just watched the Kentucky Derby. I turned it on about 15 minutes before post time. The pre-event festivities are probably second to the Super Bowl pregame show in hype. Unfortunately, the second place horse, Eight Belles, suffered compound fractures on her front legs just after finishing the race and was put down on the track. I used to be a big fan of thoroughbred racing, but not so much anymore. I know they're bred to race, but I wonder how far they're pushed sometimes.

A quiet evening ahead. Just chilling out.

We need rain!

Well, I'm still painting. Except for my sub par trim work, it looks very nice. I think I'm getting better as I go along. It's slow going, as I'm doing a wall a day. I get too achy and sore if I paint AND work outside, so I just do a little of both to keep up. The weather's been hot and we are in dire need of rain. I'm watering the stuff I planted every day. Irrigation twice a week isn't enough for the new plants. My tomato plants are getting big and already have suckers. So I should be seeing baby tomatoes before too long.

I postponed the Master Gardener class till the next time they offer it. I have company coming the next 2 months and the course is 3 full days a week for 3 weeks. No biggie. I need to spend my time writing and making money anyway.

A good friend and former co-worker from Philadelphia is visiting me for a few days next week. Lorie and I were long-distance teammates when I was working in my hometown. She's visiting a friend in Ft. Lauderdale, then will make her way to my place. I'm really looking forward to her visit - she's a hoot and we'll have a great time!

Later in the month, my friend Becky, my sister Van and I are spending a week in Vero Beach. Becky rented a house on the beach. WOO HOO, can't wait! Then in June, my nephew Jeff and his wife, Lili Rose, will spend a week here. LOTS of things to do this summer. Love it!

I finally made an appointment to see an orthopedic doctor the last week of May. I also see my medical oncologist and radiation oncologist that week. I get some relief from the hip and back pain when I use an analgesic rub, ibuprofen and sometimes heat. If I'm walking and keeping active it doesn't bother me as much. After I sit for a long time, it hurts. It's another good reason to keep moving and not sit on my butt too much!

Have a good weekend all!

Expelled

Today I met Joyce for lunch then we went to see Expelled: The Movie. WOW. Ben Stein takes on the ivory tower of academia regarding Darwinian and Intelligent Design theories. I've been a fan of Ben's since Ferris Bueller's Day Off. ("Anyone? Anyone?") Hope you get a chance to see this movie.

I did a little shopping after the movie, picked up a prescription, came home, fed the beasts and watered my plants. Naturally, I'm incredibly exhausted. I'm ready to zone out in front of the boob tube.

Joe's Garden Tour Article

Most of you are aware that my brother Joe, in addition to being an English/Journalism teacher and musician, is a freelance writer. He often writes for the Daytona Beach News-Journal. I've attached the article he wrote for the News-Journal about the Garden Tour we went to last weekend:

Stetson, DeLand club team up to spotlight native garden
Tour features president's home, guest lectures

JOE MALLEY - CORRESPONDENT
April 13, 2008; Page 01W

DELAND - Native plants inspired Ponce de Leon to name Florida in 1513 from the Spanish phrase Pascua Florida, which means "feast of flowers," so it's appropriate that Florida's native plants be the focus of the Garden Club of DeLand's Home and Garden Tour this weekend..

The centerpiece of the show, which takes place Saturday and Sunday, will be the new Vera Lea Rinker Native Plant Garden adjacent to the Stetson president's home. While there is a charge for the tour, a series of free lectures on environmentally friendly gardening will be offered right across the street.

The 2.6-acre garden features more than 80 trees and thousands of native Florida shrubs, perennials, grasses, ferns and other plants. In addition to a guided tour of the garden and a walk-through of the lower level of the President's House, the tour will feature a Southern tea party as well as water conservation exhibits designed to promote low-water landscaping using native plants. Floral arrangements created by local florists and members of the garden club will be displayed in the landmark historic house and on the grounds.

In addition, Master Gardeners will answer gardening questions, local artists will conduct hands-on projects and display their works, Stetson students will perform musical selections and garden club members dressed in period costumes will stroll the grounds with Bill Dreggors portraying city and university founder Henry A. DeLand and Gary Meadows as university namesake John B. Stetson.

Plants will be sold by the Lyonia Chapter of the Native Plant Society, the Garden Club of DeLand and the Volusia Rose Society. Free guest lectures will take place at the Lynn Business Center on both days. David Rigsby, responsible for the university's streets and grounds, is one of the scheduled speakers offering information about gardening. He'll discuss Florida native plants and the challenge of creating a garden using native plants.

"This is our biggest fundraiser of the year," said garden club member Karen Marusin, vice chairwoman of the tour.

The event's theme is "Go Native - Beyond the Garden Gate," said garden club member Karen Hall, chairwoman of the tour, which offers visitors the opportunity to view Florida native plants in an aesthetically balanced environment. She said the tour theme also fits the National Garden Club's theme "Nurture the Earth - Plant Native" and the Florida Federation of Garden Club's theme "Focus on Florida."

"We as gardeners feel it's important to promote water conservation practices," Hall said.

The university is committed to use only Florida native plants and trees in campus landscaping, said Rigsby, and the initiative is reflected in the Rinker Garden. The university uses reclaimed water to irrigate the garden as necessary.

"The challenge we faced here was arranging the plants in an aesthetic way," Rigsby said. "The garden is landscaped as a mosaic, and we think it's the largest garden of its kind in the state."

The garden was designed by Glenn Herbert of Bellomo-Herbert, a landscape architectural company based in Orlando. Rigsby and his team started the landscaping last May and completed the project in September, but it took more than a year from design to completion.

"It is because of Dave's (Rigsby) passion that this is a reality," said Margaret Lee, a garden club member and wife of the university president.

Tree species in the garden include magnolia, maple, birch, redbud dogwood, cypress, Chickasaw plum, fringe and palm. Plants include firebush, oakleaf hydrangea, Florida anise, St. John's wort, palmetto, Fakahatchee, grass, coontie, blue flag iris, blanket- flower and dune sunflower - all native to Florida.

The Garden Club of DeLand was organized in 1925 and includes 216 members with Anne Tison serving as president, according to Marusin. The club consists of eight circles whose volunteer members provide youth programs, floral design courses, educational opportunities, gardening shows and special events, such as the home and garden tour.

Cutline: Margaret Lee, wife of Stetson University President Dr. H. Douglas Lee, left, and Karen Marusin, vice chairwoman of the Garden Club of DeLand's 2008 Home and Garden Tour, pause during a stroll of the Vera Lea Rinker Native Plant Garden adjacent to the President's House. The 2.6-acre garden is the focus of the tour, which takes place Saturday and Sunday.

I deserve a medal!

Friday night was Deltona's Relay for Life event. I was on the hospital's team, which included several members of my BC support group. It was a very nice event. It was odd to be standing on stage with other cancer survivors and being applauded as we did the survivors' lap. Very surreal. I didn't stay for a real long time; I had been gardening and painting during the day and I was pretty tired. I was watching TV later that night and couldn't keep my eyes open. Needless to say, I went to bed early.

I decided to attack the red wall again. After 3 coats, I think it looks good. Now I have a lot of touch up work to do on the baseboards. I'm bleaching the grout and I think it'll come out if I keep doing it (over and over). I've moved on to the other walls I'm doing in taupe. Actually the color is called "Au Lait Ole." Clever, eh?

What was I thinking???

One career I won't be seeking: Professional painter. Honestly, precision is not my thing. The taupe paint is very good to work with. The red? Oh, bad, bad, bad. Occasionally, I get a bad case of butterfingers, dropping stuff all the time. Not a good thing to do with a tray of red paint. Flipped it upside down today. #&$*@#(! All over the tile floor. Getting it off porcelain tile isn't too bad; the grout is another story all together. If anyone has an idea how to remove this crap off my grout, pls clue me in. Tile is great to have with house pets, but not so great if you drop stuff. I once dropped a bottle of red nail polish which broke and went everywhere. I was able to bleach most of it out of the grout. Not sure if it'll work for paint. Anyway, I am going to beg someone to paint the 2 red walls. I give up. Imagine what kind of mood I'm in. Hint: Not a good one.

And I was in a horrible, horrible mood the other day. I already know that not taking Zoloft for several days (or longer) is not a good idea. It's usually because I don't refill it soon enough. This time, however, it was my insurance company giving me grief. I can't refill at my pharmacy anymore. I'm forced to do mail order. Granted, it's cheaper that way, but not by much. Well, I didn't have a 3 month script for mail order, so I made an appointment to see my shrink. Yes, I go to one. You can't possibly be surprised. I asked Caremark if I could get one refill to hold me over until I got the mail order, but they said they can only permit 2 per year at the pharmacy. When I received my Caremark info this year, which never comes before the benefits start, I reviewed it and saw nothing about a 2 refill limit. The rep told me I could have my doc write the script differently (different mg) and it should go through. Did that, and it still was rejected. Now it's been a week since I had taken Zoloft (actually, the generic form). I already paid for a week out of pocket until I could get an appointment with my doctor. As I indicated before, my fuse was short. This short ....... No, more like .. When I called Caremark again, I promptly went off on the poor person who received my call. Very Christian-like of me. I warned her I was off my meds ahead of time. I asked (no, demanded) to speak to a manager, which did me no good. The manager did try to help, though. So I ended up purchasing 10 days worth this time and hopefully I'll get the order delivered before then. I try not to complain about insurance too much, because I know people who have no coverage. It must've been harmonic convergence, planet alignment, or something like that for me to lose it like that on the phone. Kidding.

I still have aches and pains. Makes it hard to do things without getting tired and sore. The hot flashes have increased. When I get one, it feels like I have a fever. I'm always turning ceiling fans off and on. Hot, cold, hot, cold. The bottom line is that I'm frustrated that I can't do everything I want to. It's not easy to acknowledge your limitations. Sigh.